Seat Help

kz650_aaron

kz650_aaron

New Member
I really need some help coming up with a cheap seat idea. I dont have much money so I really need to go with something that isnt gonna cost more than i paid for the bike( i only paid 100 for the bike in running but not pretty condition.) I seem to remember some guys on here just cutting up a helmet for the tail piece but my kz650 already has a pretty sporty tailpiece on it and im thinking about keeping it. I just really need help on how to make the seat itself slimmer and sportier. Any ideas would be appreciated, and thanks to all before hand.
 
Still got the seat that came with the bike when i bought it. I was originally just gonna cut up the foan and reupholster but the pan is rusty as all hell so that is not an option.
 
Subscribing to this, I have a KZ750 looking to do the exact same thing.

So far in my research what several people have done is use fiberglass to make a seat pan, and in the process, lay thin strips of wood around the perimeter so that there is material to glue/staple the fabric to after they have the foam down.
 
I have no experience with glass but im thinking im gonna use plate aluminum and rivets to mount the leather. Just got to figure out how to shave the foam i have, it surprisingly is in very good shape.
 
gonna be tuff to be honest i have more than 100 in materials in most fiberglass seats i build. i would sugest hunting online on ebay
 
Found this in the show off your seat thread. Simple concept and looks to have few materials involved.

IMG_0056.jpg

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I gotta agree with Joe. It's not cheap to do it right, but I have seen some creative guys on here make some really decent seats out of wood and old helmets. Hunt around on the site for ideas. Use scrap or old material wherever you can to save money.

I have a factory pan that I cut the rust out of and narrowed slightly. If not for the satisfaction of doing it myself I might have just bought a new seat. Good quality vinyl and UV resistant thread alone will cost you at least 40 bucks. Good foam, that's another 20 or 30 dollars. Sheetmetal is rediculously expensive these days. I priced glass materials to do this and it would have been over 50 dollars. Remember we're not buying in bulk like a shop would so we pay premium prices for materials. You could easily spend 100 bucks fixing it up. I managed to use scrap material that I had laying around for part of my seat and its still costing me about 75 bucks.
 
Speaking of foam, where would be a good place to get seat or high density foam from? Is that something a fabric store would have? It's the component that would seem to be the most difficult to get your hands on.
 
Thanks for all the info guys. I think im gonna trim my stock seat pan and use my factory foam but what type of leather or vinyl would you guys recommend?
 
From what I have read whatever material you go with should have some sort of UV protection depending on where you live and on how long you get to ride for. Also may want to think of it being water/weather resistant.
 
I just bought some Naugahyde from a place online. He also sells high quality foam. Prices are pretty reasonable compared to my local fabric store. I called the guy and he said to purchase the Spirit Millennium fabric. He said that it was the best thing for a motorcycle seat. I ordered it on Monday and received it today. It's nice. It has a little stretch to it and is pretty soft considering how durable it is. Best of all it's made in the USA (can you believe it?). I kind of wish that it had a little more texture to it. It's hard to tell online. You can get samples if you want.


I would stay away from leather. Some of the vinyls look and feel a lot like leather nowadays anyway. They even have a faux suede that look pretty cool.

http://www.garysupholstery.com/
 
I frame them up in thin 1/8" ply and attach all the pieces using brass wire (i.e. canoe/kayak building technique). Then I glass them. You can make modest curves by steaming the ply and strapping to a form.
 
I'm curious about this as well.

I will be dealing without a pan, unless I can find a crap stock one for cheap. There was a cool post somewhere (SOHC?) using an old leather jacket as the material.

Definitely adds to the vintage vibe, and can sometimes be had cheap at 2nd hand store.
 
I am going to hack up the stock seat pan as the rust is only on the portion that i would be cuttingoff anyway. Definitely gonna order some naugahyde from garys upholstery as that seems the most cost effective route.
 
Building a seat now using a Goodwill leather jacket for material. I'll post when done and describe the process.
 
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